Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 13th August 2017

Dear Readers,

1. Govt. launches national anthem video in sign language

i. Union Minister of State for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey has launched an Indian National Anthem video in sign language, featuring differently-abled and partially differently-abled children.

ii. Directed by filmmaker Govind Nihalani, the three-minute video features Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan along with physically challenged children performing the anthem in sign language with the Red Fort in the background. The video was also launched in Goa, Bhopal, Chandigarh and Kolhapur.

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2. Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurates Inclusive Independence Day Celebrations

i. Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot has inaugurated Inclusive Independence Day celebrations organized by the National Trust. Around 2500 people from all walks of life participated in the event along with 500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

ii. On the occasion, Mr Gehlot administered New India Pledge “Sankalp se Siddhi” to participants. The Initiative aims to provide equal access to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, by means of Inclusive Education, Inclusive Employment and Inclusive Community Life. 

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3. Gujarat Government to Give ‘Namo’ Tablets

i. Around 3.5 lakh college students in Gujarat will get tablets at a subsidised rate of Rs 1,000 each under a state government scheme launched by chief minister Vijay Rupani in Ahmedabad. Under this scheme, the first year college students in the state will get 7-inch ‘NAMO E-Tab’ tablets, which have a market value of Rs 8,000 each, by just paying Rs 1,000.

ii. Several students, who had already registered for the scheme, received the tablets from the chief minister at the launch ceremony in Ahmedabad.

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4. Jharkhand Assembly passes Religious Freedom Bill

i. Jharkhand Assembly has passed Religious Freedom Bill 2017. It aims to stop the forced conversions in the state. The bill will now be sent to the governor, following whose approval it would go to the President for assent. 

ii. The Bill has provision for the imprisonment of three years and fine of 50,000 rupees or both, and four-year imprisonment and 1 lakh rupee fine, or both, if the person converted is a minor, woman or a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. 

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5. India one of the most open economies globally for FDI

i. According to the Economic Survey, India has now emerged as one of the most open economies in the world for receiving foreign direct investments (FDI), on the back of a host of liberalisation measures. It pointed out that measures taken by the government have resulted in FDI equity inflow of $43.4 billion in 2016-17, which is not only an increase of 8% over the previous year but also the highest ever. 

ii. Mauritius, Singapore and Japan have been top three source countries of FDI inflows to India contributing 36.2%, 20% and 10.8%, respectively, during 2016-17, according to the survey.

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6. Flipkart world’s 3rd most funded Pvt company

i. With the $2.4 billion it just received from Japanese technology and telecom giant SoftBank, Flipkart has become the third most funded private company globally. 

ii. The homegrown e-commerce company has to date raised almost $7 billion in the capital, higher than that raised by global behemoths like online house rental aggregator Airbnb ($3.3 billion) and mobile phone maker Xiaomi ($1.4 billion). The top two are both ride hailing platforms— China based Didi Chuxing and the US based Uber.

7. Hike Messenger acquires tech start-up Creo 

i. Homegrown messaging and social media technology company Hike Messenger has acquired Bengaluru-based tech start-up Creo for an undisclosed amount. 

ii. The Creo team constitutes over 50 members and was founded in December 2013 by Sai Srinivas Kiran G and Shubham Malhotra. In the past, Creo has launched hardware products that include streaming media dongles and smartphones. 

8. I V Subba Rao appointed secretary to Vice President

i. Retired IAS officer I V Subba Rao has appointed the secretary to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. The Prime Minister’s Office cleared the appointment a day on which Naidu assumed charge as the 13th vice president of the country. N Yuvaraj, Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer of 2006 batch, will be the private secretary to Naidu.

ii. Rao, a 1979 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, retired from service as special chief secretary last year. He held several important posts in Andhra Pradesh and later served the UNESCO.

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9. David Rasquinha appointed as Exim Bank MD

i. David Rasquinha, who is currently Deputy Managing Director of Exim Bank of India, has been appointed as Managing Director of the bank. This appointment will be valid for a period of three years.

ii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has given its nod for the elevation of Rasquinha to the post of Managing Director, official sources said. A formal order in this regard is expected from the Department of Financial Services in the Finance Ministry in the next few days.

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10. Indian Oil buys first shale oil from the US

i. State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has brought the country’s first shale oil from the US and is looking to step up imports from America as part of its crude diversification strategy. IOC bought 1.9 million barrels of US crude in its second import tender seeking oil from the Americas. 

ii. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, joins Asian countries like South Korea, Japan and China to buy US crude after production cuts by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) drove up prices of Middle East heavy-sour crude, or grades with a high sulphur content.

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11. Finance Ministry issues norms for Central offices to retrofit energy efficient appliances

i. The Union Finance Ministry has issued guidelines for mandatory installation of energy efficient appliances in all Central Government buildings across India. It has directed that usage of LED based lightings and energy efficient cooling equipment such as fans and air conditioners in government buildings will lead to savings in the long run through the reduction in energy consumption.

ii. Under the programme, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) intends to bring in the investment of around Rs. 1000 crore covering more than 10,000 large government/private buildings by 2020.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

12. The Obelisk Gate’ wins Best Novel 2017

i. The Hugo Award for Best Novel 2017 was given to Nora K. Jemisin, an American speculative fiction writer for her work ‘The Obelisk Gate’. The award was presented at the 75th World Science Fiction Convention in Helsinki. 

ii. The awarded book was the second in the trilogy that started with ‘The Fifth Season’, which was New York Times Notable Book of 2015 and won Jemisin the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016. 

13. Aishwarya becomes the first woman to raise Indian flag at IFFM 2017

i. Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has become the first female actor ever to hoist the Indian National Flag at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), Australia’s annual celebration of film from India and the subcontinent.

ii. The official Twitter handle of IFFM posted a picture of the 43-year-old actress. 

14. Maheshwari bags memorable bronze at Asian Shotgun Championship

i. Shooter Maheshwari Chauhan bagged a bronze medal at the Asian Shotgun Championship to earn India’s first women’s skeet individual medal at a top international competition in Astana, Kazakhstan. 

ii. Maheshwari also led India to the team silver alongside compatriots Rashmmi Rathore and Saniya Sheikh.